Contents:
Our Everyday Selfishness
Upcoming Dates to Note
All-Day Sitting
Zen Potluck Dinner
Sensei Overseas
Early Morning Sittings
Our Everyday Selfishness
Recently I was talking to someone who was acutely feeling the gap between the bodhisattva vow to work for the liberation of all sentient beings and her “everyday selfishness.” When we pay attention we will start to see our self-partiality more clearly, and it can be quite discouraging. But to get really down about how selfish we are is a trap that has a lot of self in it. We are selfish because we have misused our minds for a long time. We also have the good karma to have found the Buddhadharma, an excellent toolbox for deconstructing the illusion of self. Much patience is called for. We can’t just will away our selfishness because it isn’t an entity at all, but we can “open the hand of thought” as one contemporary teacher puts it, moment by moment, whether in our sitting or in the thousands of micro-decisions we make in a day. Each time we do that we are practicing the way of the bodhisattva.
Sensei
Upcoming Dates to Note
All-Day Sitting This Sunday
There will be an all-day sitting on Sunday 2 September. The schedule is as follows:
6:00 a.m. zazen/kinhin/dokusan
8:00 breakfast
8:30 zazen/kinhin/teisho (usual Sunday morning format)
10:30 samu (work practice) or walking meditation
11:15 zazen/kinhin
12:30 lunch
1:00 zazen/kinhin/dokusan
3:00 exercises
3:20 zazen, chanting
4:00 cleanup
As always people may come for just the teisho block or part of the day. BYO breakfast and lunch (microwave available). Tea is provided. Koha is requested – $20-30 suggested for whole day.
Potluck Dinner
Helen Fuller has kindly offered to host a dinner at her house at 6 p.m. on Sunday 16 September for members of our group and for our friends in the Auckland Zen Society. She asks that everyone bring a plate of food (vegetarian) for the main course. Helen will provide dessert.
RSVP to hfuller2001@yahoo.com by Friday 14 September.
Sensei Away
Sensei will be in the U.S.A from 27 September to 17 November. During this period sittings will continue as usual and Richard will offer daisan on Tuesdays. Sensei will lead a work retreat at Chapin Mill, the RZC’s country retreat centre, and a 2-day sesshin in Cleveland, Ohio, as well as participating in two 7-day sesshins with Roshi Kjolhede.
Early Morning Sittings
Are continuing on Mondays, 6 to 7:15 a.m.
Our Everyday Selfishness
Upcoming Dates to Note
All-Day Sitting
Zen Potluck Dinner
Sensei Overseas
Early Morning Sittings
Our Everyday Selfishness
Recently I was talking to someone who was acutely feeling the gap between the bodhisattva vow to work for the liberation of all sentient beings and her “everyday selfishness.” When we pay attention we will start to see our self-partiality more clearly, and it can be quite discouraging. But to get really down about how selfish we are is a trap that has a lot of self in it. We are selfish because we have misused our minds for a long time. We also have the good karma to have found the Buddhadharma, an excellent toolbox for deconstructing the illusion of self. Much patience is called for. We can’t just will away our selfishness because it isn’t an entity at all, but we can “open the hand of thought” as one contemporary teacher puts it, moment by moment, whether in our sitting or in the thousands of micro-decisions we make in a day. Each time we do that we are practicing the way of the bodhisattva.
Sensei
Upcoming Dates to Note
- All-Day Sitting Sunday 2 September, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Introductory Workshop Saturday 8 September, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Continuing Education Course “Introduction to Zen” starting 10 September. A look at the origins and history of Zen, offered by Sensei and Richard and aimed at a general audience. Five Monday evening sessions plus a “field trip” to the zendo. Registration through www.cce.auckland.ac.nz/cce/about/.
- Zen Dinner Sunday 16 September, 6 p.m., 3 Moana Ave, Belmont
- Bodhidharma Day Tuesday 25 September, ceremony to mark the Death Day of Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen, instead of usual chanting service (dokusan will not be offered).
- 2-Day Sesshin 23-25 November at the Friary; deadline for applications is 16 November.
All-Day Sitting This Sunday
There will be an all-day sitting on Sunday 2 September. The schedule is as follows:
6:00 a.m. zazen/kinhin/dokusan
8:00 breakfast
8:30 zazen/kinhin/teisho (usual Sunday morning format)
10:30 samu (work practice) or walking meditation
11:15 zazen/kinhin
12:30 lunch
1:00 zazen/kinhin/dokusan
3:00 exercises
3:20 zazen, chanting
4:00 cleanup
As always people may come for just the teisho block or part of the day. BYO breakfast and lunch (microwave available). Tea is provided. Koha is requested – $20-30 suggested for whole day.
Potluck Dinner
Helen Fuller has kindly offered to host a dinner at her house at 6 p.m. on Sunday 16 September for members of our group and for our friends in the Auckland Zen Society. She asks that everyone bring a plate of food (vegetarian) for the main course. Helen will provide dessert.
RSVP to hfuller2001@yahoo.com by Friday 14 September.
Sensei Away
Sensei will be in the U.S.A from 27 September to 17 November. During this period sittings will continue as usual and Richard will offer daisan on Tuesdays. Sensei will lead a work retreat at Chapin Mill, the RZC’s country retreat centre, and a 2-day sesshin in Cleveland, Ohio, as well as participating in two 7-day sesshins with Roshi Kjolhede.
Early Morning Sittings
Are continuing on Mondays, 6 to 7:15 a.m.
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